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Faculty Educator of the Month: May 2011

Dr. David G. Johnson

Dr. David G. Johnson, Director of the Molecular Carcinogenesis Graduate Program, Director of the Center for Research on Environmental Disease, Co-director of the Center for Environmental and Molecular Carcinogenesis, and Deputy Chair and Professor in the Department of Carcinogenesis, has been named the May 2011 Faculty Educator of the Month.

Under Dr. Johnson’s leadership since 2010, the Molecular Carcinogenesis Ph.D. program at The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston (GSBS) offers instruction via research in and courses on topics related to carcinogenesis. These topics are grouped into four categories: cellular and molecular mechanisms; DNA damage, repair, and mutagenesis; molecular and biochemical genetics; and prevention of cancer induction. In addition, trainees can participate in a seminar series on current issues related to cancer research and biomedical science and informal seminars on similar issues.

Dr. Johnson has also had considerable experience in direct education of trainees, serving as a coordinator, instructor, or discussion leader for nine GSBS courses and coordinator of the GSBS Journal Club. In addition, since 1995, he has been a co-investigator for the National Cancer Institute-supported Research Training in Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis program.

Also among Dr. Johnson’s extensive education experience has been service on numerous trainee committees. Specifically, he has chaired or been a member of 36 advisory committees, 30 supervisory committees, and 30 examining committees. Also, he has been a research mentor for 16 participants in the MD Anderson Science Park Research Division Summer Program, research or tutorial mentor for 24 GSBS students, and research mentor for 10 postdoctoral research fellows.

Dr. Johnson’s educational efforts reach outside MD Anderson, as well. As an Adjunct Professor in the colleges of Natural Sciences and Pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin, he has been an instructor for 4 courses, chaired or served on 13 supervisory committees, and been a tutorial or research mentor for 6 graduate students. Furthermore, he has been an instructor for a course at Prairie View A&M University and a lecturer for the American Cancer Society.

During his time at MD Anderson, Dr. Johnson has been honored for his contributions with the MD Anderson Faculty Scholar Award (2000-2003) and the American Cancer Society Junior Faculty Scholar Award (1996-1998). He also received a commendation from the GSBS in 2007.

Dr. Johnson received his Ph.D. degree in Microbiology from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas in 1991. He then moved on to Duke University, where he completed a research fellowship in Medical Genetics with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 1994.

That same year, Dr. Johnson came to MD Anderson when he was named an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2000 and Professor in 2006. Additionally, he was appointed to the GSBS faculty in 1997 and named Adjunct Professor in the colleges of Natural Sciences and Pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin in 1999 and 2000, respectively.

Furthermore, Dr. Johnson was named Director of the Molecular Carcinogenesis Graduate Program, Co-director of the Center for Environmental and Molecular Carcinogenesis, and Deputy Chair of the Department of Carcinogenesis in 2010 and Director of the Center for Research on Environmental Disease in 2011. He also has served as Director of the Transgenic Animal Facility (1999-2010), Director of the Comparative Mouse Consortium (2001-2007), and Deputy Director of the Center for Research on Environmental Disease (2010-2011).

Since joining the MD Anderson faculty, Dr. Johnson has been the Principal Investigator or a Co-investigator for 12 funded research projects. He also has served on study sections and reviewed grants for numerous agencies.

Since 2005, Dr. Johnson has been an Associate Editor for the journal Molecular Carcinogenesis. He also has been a reviewer for 14 journals. Dr. Johnson has documented his research in more than 45 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, 8 invited articles, 1 book chapter, and several abstracts.